President’s Update for May 30, 2014

In this edition...

POW SEARHC Lifestyle Balance Participants Complete a Marathon!

This year was the 15th anniversary for the POW International Marathon. It was also an important landmark for the SEARHC Lifestyle Balance program, a newly-offered diabetes prevention program on Prince of Wales Island which sponsored an eight-person relay walking team (pictured left to right) June May, Joy Young, Elena Yates, Anna Guthrie, Anna Trudeau, Joni Young and Minnie Ellison, and (not pictured) Crystal Day Hope.

Having been successful at incorporating physical activity into their lifestyles, they were eager to test themselves in the Marathon. Out of the eight team members, five of them had never participated in a marathon prior to this one.

Please join me in congratulating this group of eight. We couldn’t be more proud of these women and hope their accomplishment serves as an inspiration to others.

A new session of the Lifestyle Balance program in POW will begin in early September. Interested community members can call 755-4959 for more information.

In Juneau we honored Anna White, Katrina Hotch, Leon Cain, Mira Mullens, Reeve Newton, and Susan Hennon. Also included that day was Ken Hoyt from Wrangell who is not pictured. I am pleased to have been at this event, along with Chief Financial Officer, Barbara Searls.

Please join me in congratulating all of our spring honorees.

May 31st is World No Tobacco Day

Since 1987, the World Health Organization has designated the last day of May as a day to draw worldwide attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. This year the focus is on building awareness about tobacco companies spending billions to make their products attractive and more affordable, enticing many young people to start using tobacco.

Nearly 9 out of 10 smokers start smoking by age 18, but the good news is that those who don't begin using tobacco by age 26 are unlikely to do so. That means educating young people, limiting the marketing and promotional exposure of tobacco (including smoking in movies and other media), limiting access to, and creating tobacco-free public places are all things we can do to help keep teens and young adults live tobacco-free lives.

Just a reminder...

No-Show Policy at ELMC

In order to decrease the frequency of patients missing appointments at Ethel Lund Medical Center in Juneau, we will be implementing a new no-show policy beginning June 16, 2014. A missed appointment, or "no-show," occurs when a patient misses a scheduled appointment without advance notice and delays the opportunity for others to receive timely care.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we implement this new policy. You may contact the clinic if you have any questions or would like additional clarification.

Free Health Insurance for Alaska Natives/American Indians

Through a collaboration between SouthEast Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), Alaska Natives and American Indians may be eligible for free additional health insurance coverage through a trial program known as Tribally Sponsored Health Insurance Program (T-SHIP), and is available to those the program’s criteria. Anyone interested in being screened for health insurance coverage should call Andrea Thomas, SEARHC Outreach & Enrollment Manager at (907) 966-8883 or email her at andreat@searhc.org.

ANTHC $5000 Scholarship for the 2014-2015 Academic Year

Applications are currently being accepted now through June 20, 2014 at 4:30 pm. Awards go towards the academic Fall 2014 – Summer 2015 school year. ANTHC grants these scholarships as an integral part of its long-term strategy to increase Alaska Natives and American Indians in the healthcare field. You may visit the ANTHC website for more information.